Mo Salah injury return timeline revealed

Mohamed Salah is expected to be unavailable for Egypt's final Africa Cup of Nations group stage game, as well as the last 16 tie – should they qualify – as he recovers from a muscle injury.

The winger pulled up with an apparent hamstring issue shortly before half-time during Egypt's 2-2 draw with Ghana on Thursday and had to be substituted.

The incident caused alarm among both Egypt and Liverpool fans, though footage showing Salah walking comfortably through the mixed zone after the match provided optimism that the knock wasn't serious.

Speaking after the game, Pharaohs manager Rui Vitoria described the injury as "not dangerous". Meanwhile, on Friday Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admitted he was still in the dark over the severity of the issue.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the weekend's game against Bournemouth, Klopp said: "At that moment, [it was] a shock ... [he] couldn't see that like he was hit by something high intense. You have these hamstring injuries in different ways but he felt it and we know how rarely Mo goes off, so it is definitely something but we will see. I don't have any more information."

On Friday night, the Egyptian FA posted an official update on their captain's status, revealing the expected timeline for his recovery and return.

The statement read: “The X-rays that Mohamed Salah, the captain of the Egyptian national team, underwent showed that he suffered a strain in the posterior muscle.

“He will miss the team’s next two matches in the African Nations, against Cape Verde and then the Round of 16 match in the event of qualification.”

Egypt take on Group B leaders Cape Verde on Monday in their final game of the first phase.

Should they qualify, the last 16 tie will take place between 27-30 January.

If Egypt were to progress beyond that stage, it is implied that Salah could return for the quarter final on 2-3 February.

Elsewhere, Klopp provided a positive update on the recoveries of three injured players, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai all 'close' to returns.